Currently used state-of-the-art exoatmospheric antimissile guidance algorithms are generally limited to engagements in which the target missile is ballistic, in that it has no acceleration attributable to a rocket motor. This is true of a system and algorithm known as Burnout Reference Guidance (BRG) currently used for thrust vector control (TVC) of the SM-1 interceptor during exoatmospheric portions of flight. BRG works, in general, by proportional navigation that attempts to null out the line-of-sight rate. Interest has recently been directed toward launching interceptor missiles and intercepting target missiles during the boost phase of target missile flight. Analysis of BRG guidance, even when modified to include target missile acceleration (and renamed “modBRG”), suggests that it may not be optimal against boosting target missiles, in that guidance errors may result in missing of the target. Amended algorithms applied to modBRG have not sufficiently decreased guidance errors.
Improved thrust control guidance control of antimissiles is desired for action against target missiles in both their boost and ballistic states.